Strong Winds Cause Concern As Storm Moves Into Region

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Gusty winds will shake things up Monday as a strong cold front passes through the Central Valley.

Strong winds are expected to reach 20 to 30 mph with gusts to over 40 mph, but are forecasted to decrease in the evening.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a wind advisory for the Sacramento Valley, delta, and northern San Joaquin Valley -- in effect from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.

With wind gusts of 45 mph or higher expected, it could make for an unsteady morning commute.

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Strong winds caused some trouble for more than 12,000 south Sacramento SMUD customers Sunday after a palm tree branch fell on a power line.

"We have so many trees in this town. It's inevitable that it happens," Master Tree Care arborist Ken Lord said.

"If we get up to around 30, 40, 45 mph winds, we're gonna see some damage," said Lord. "Trees on the ground, branches breaking, it's gonna find the weak trees and it's gonna call them out."

The strong winds expected to pick up Monday morning can easily knock down trees and power lines.

"We could see some localized power outages with power lines being toppled," said National Service Weather meteorologist Drew Peterson said.

Lord says it's important to keep up with maintaining any old trees on your property to prevent them from losing a gusty battle.

But, he says the lack of rain with the storm should help keep the weaker trees in place. However the National Weather Service says its not often we get this much wind, this late in the storm season.

"It's about once every three years that we will get a system like this in April," said Peterson.

Arborists are gearing up either way, expecting Monday to be a busy day of cleaning up any mess the storm leaves.

"Last year we got it. This year we really didn't get it. So the weak trees are still there, it's gonna happen," said Lord.

At about 30 mph, trees sway and you feel some resistance when you walk, but it's when winds reach up to 40 mph that tree branches can start to snap.